Two Malaysian Brothers Killed In Road Crash In Mandailing

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA, June 30 (Bernama) -- A mini-bus journey by two Malaysian brothers to their village in North Sumatra to meet long-lost relatives ended on a tragic note for them. Zaidun Basir, 68, and Zulkifli Mohd, 64, were among eight people, including the bus driver, killed when the vehicle plunged into a 150-metre deep ravine near Lake Toba on Thursday. The mishap occurred about 5am in Batu Gantung, Simalungun. Earlier, the brothers had met relatives in Natal, Mandaliang Natal district and compiled information on their family roots for a reference book. The duo were also said to have visited the graves of their ancestors before leaving for Medan, North Sumatra to take a flight to their respective family homes in Cheras (Kuala Lumpur) and Johor Baharu, the capital of Malaysia's southern state of Johor, on Thursday. When contacted, Zaidun's son, Rohaizat, 43, who had arrived in Medan, said that the crash also claimed the lives of two relatives from Natal. Rohaizat arrived in Medan with Zulkifli's son, Hazlan, 39, to make arrangements to send the bodies of their fathers to Cheras and Johor, respectively. Local newspapers quoted the police as saying that based on inputs of four surviving passengers, they had stopped in Balige to rest and watched a Euro 2012 match. They continued their journey after the match but the mini-bus skidded at a curve in the road at Batu Gantung and plunged into a ravine. -- BERNAMA